Issuing the flood alerts, the Environment Agency said: "During today and into the early hours of Friday there is the potential for localised and very heavy thunderstorms to affect widely scattered localities across South and West Yorkshire.

"It is not possible to predict the precise location of these thunderstorms, but where they occur there’s a risk of localised flooding of roads, homes and businesses.

"The uncertainty over where it will fall means that we are taking the precautionary measures and our staff continue to monitor the situation from the incident room and our field teams are working with partners to ensure that defences are clear of obstructions."